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We spoke about the 12 bar blues in Jazz, and about how easy it is to hear once you are used to how the progression sounds. Below is a Spotify playlist to demonstrate what I mean. Listen to these tracks, enjoy them, and try to identify where the 12 bar blues starts and finishes. I will add more tracks over the coming weeks.
Any questions please come and see me. I promise not to blabber on too much about jazz.
Mr. Guinane

Year 10,
Your homework this week is to complete the 'Descriptive Music' sheet for ONE movement of the Bliss Colour Symphony. The links are below:
Due WEDS 6TH FEB.
Come find me if you have any problems. Thanks.
Mr. Guinane
Purple:

We have now received details of rooming at the Youth Hostel in Berlin. You need to get yourselves into rooms according to size and then turn up at the start of breaktime on Friday 1st February to register your desired combination. Please don't forget, just because it's a room you want, you might not necessarily get it, depending on who else wants what. Everyone needs a bed so don't leave anyone out, especially if they don't know many people. If you have no idea what room you want to be in (or don't really mind) then please come to the meeting and we will allocate you a room. You won't be there for very long so it shouldn't really matter. Boys:
3 rooms of 5 beds
1 room of 4 beds Girls:
5 rooms of 4 beds
4 rooms of 5 beds
If you are in Years 7 to 11, you will receive your phone chain letter in your trays. 6th form, please come and collect them from Ms Doan's pigeon hole.
All of the concerts are open to the public, and as far as I know, are free of ch…

Concert Band is ON tomorrow morning at 7.45am unless there are any drastic changes to the weather. It will be icy so please be careful.
This is the last rehearsal for non-Berliners (that's students not going to Berlin, not donuts - German students will get it) so please make every effort to attend.
See you then!
Ms Doan

Your homework is to complete the sheet given out in Friday's lesson. It's really designed to make you think about the piece and how the techniques contribute to the overall style.
It is due in on Wednesday 23rd January 2013 WITHOUT FAIL.
Click here to download the sheet.

Youth Music Theatre (UK) are travelling around the country searching for talented musicians (aged 11-21). We are looking for musicians grade 7/8 minimum. Whether your interest is in performing in a Pit Band or if you would like to develop your skills as an actor/musician, auditioning to be part of our summer programme is a fantastic opportunity. Click here for more details.

Here is the first version of the ensemble performance schedule. If there are any problems please read the sheet as it tells you what to do! Take ownership and make sure you are on the ball, please do come to us if you have any problems.

Click here for the link to the BBC's Composer of the Week. This week is John Williams, a god of film music. His credits include Jaws, Star Wars, Superman, E.T., Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, to name but a few.

Check it out before it disappears (they will start to become unavailable from Monday I think), or get the Podcast for potted highlights.

Here is the playlist for our weekly bookends. If the chosen extract is from a larger work, we will put up the whole work and suggest you have a listen to it! Subscribe to the playlist for notifications when a new piece added. Don't just play it from this blog post because I don't think the playlist updates once embedded!
Here it is to get you going:

Here is a playlist of Bhangra from today's lesson as well as more tracks! If you get excited and want to purchase The Rough Guide to Bhangra, I would recommend the 2008 version as opposed to the newer 2010 version.
Don't forget your homework is to learn the key features of Bhangra ready for a listening question in 2 weeks' time.
Enjoy!

Here are some guidelines to help with your research into Debussy. Find out about:

Debussy himselfThe Symbolists (look into poetry), and Debussy's relationship with this movementMallarmé and his poemThe Impressionists, Impressionism, and Debussy's relationship with this movementAny other interesting approaches
Due Tuesday 15th January. Reich posters to follow.
Thanks,
Mr. Guinane

As promised, here are some highlights of the a lovely evening of singing and readings. Thank you all for your hard work: it really paid off.
If you would like a CD of the service, please bring a blank CD in the New Year.
We are delighted with the numbers in Choir, still extremely high despite some absence due to illness!
Choir - 108 students
Training Ensemble - 11 students
Vocal Ensemble (Chamber Choir) - 21 students
These tracks are listed in the order they appeared in the service:

Using the 3rd movement of his piano quintet in F minor, give examples of how Brahms combines his study of classical styles and forms with new directions in his music (18).
And finally, here is the recording of your Away in a Manger in the style of New York Counterpoint from your final lesson of 2012:
Hope you are having a nice holiday - see you on Monday!